A single jail cell located in the Louisville Metro Police headquarters. (By Michael Clevenger, The Courier-Journal) February 17, 2011

Written by

Jason Riley
| The Courier-Journal

State and local officials say it's not safe, but Metro Corrections on Monday reopened a 60-year-old jail above the Louisville Metro Police Department headquarters to 72 inmates to ease overcrowding at its other facilities.

The 1950s-era jail lacks fire safety systems and has failed to meet state certification requirements for decades - and Metro Corrections Director Mark Bolton acknowledged in a statement Monday that it was not a "safe solution."

"I intend to shut it down as soon as feasibly possible," Bolton said. "We're facing a possible admonishment from the state jail inspector by ...